Volkswagen ID Cross previews chunky Puma Gen-E Rival

The new Volkswagen ID Cross concept previews a chunky, supermini-sized electric crossover that will arrive at the end of next year priced from around £25,000.

The new model, which is in effect a raised version of the incoming ID Polo hatch, is described as a city-friendly yet long-distance-capable five-seat SUV that will slot into the range beneath the ID 4.

The EV has been named to position it clearly as an electric counterpart to the T-Cross, said VW, and is part of a new naming strategy that will see well-known badges adorn EVs in place of the numerical system that has been in use since the ID 3 was revealed in 2018.

The ID Cross is one of four small EVs the Volkswagen Group is preparing to launch on its MEB Entry electric platform within the next 18 months, alongside the ID Polo, Cupra Raval and Skoda Epiq.

At 4161mm long, 1839mm wide and 1588mm tall, and with a 2601mm wheelbase, the ID Cross is very close in size to the existing internal-combustion-engined T-Cross. It is 108mm longer, 23mm wider and 53mm taller than the ID Polo.

The new SUV is styled to be “clear, authentic and likeable”, with a rugged, off-roader appearance, VW styling boss Andreas Mindt told Autocar. Its “smiling” 3D front light signature is intended to give it an “approachable personality”, he added. Recognisable design cues include distinctive C-pillars that echo those of the ID Buzz.

The cabin mirrors that of the smaller ID Polo: VW has moved away from the glossy plastics of current ID models, and instead almost every visible surface is wrapped in pale fabric, giving the cabin a lighter, lounge-like appeal.

The dashboard is reduced to a single horizontal band running the width of the car, broken only by two digital displays: an 11in digital instrument panel ahead of the driver and a 13in central touchscreen. Physical controls have been pared back to a small row of touch-sensitive climate control buttons.